Orthodontic appliance



p 14, 1964 G. J. BROUSSARD 3,128,552

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed April 15. 1960 INVENTOR GARFFORDJBROUSSARO, 00$ 4 ATTORNEYS.

orthodontist prefers another technique.

United States Patent Office Patented 3 33 2 3,128,552 ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Garlford J. Broussard, Beaumont, Tex., assignor to Wllliams Gold Refining Company, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y. Filed Apr. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 21,951 6 Claims. (Cl. 32-44) This invention relates to orthodontia appliances, and more particularly to an improved bracket for use in conjunction with all types of arch wires, thus being universally applicable to all existing major orthodontia techniques. As is well known, arch wires are curved to conform approximately to the normal dental arch, and have their ends anchored to suitably situated molars, and are intermediately connected to teeth which are to be moved or otherwise adjusted. The teeth to be treated are generally provided with fixed encircling bands carrying arch wire engaging means, and it is particularly the means for connecting the arch wires to the tooth encircling bands with which my invention is concerned. My invention comprises an improvement in the type of attaching means disclosed for example in Johnson Patent 1,952,- 320.

There are currently in general use by the majority of Orthodontists three different sectional shapes of arch wires. These include the so-called round wire type comprising a single strand of conventionally shaped round wire, the twin arch type comprising a pair of round wire strands of relatively smaller diameter and the edgewise or rec-- tangular wire type which comprises a single strand of wire which is of square or rectangular cross-sectioned form. Thus, these different forms of arch wire types each present a cross-section of different shape and dimension for attachment to the banded teeth being treated, and my bracket is the only bracket which may be with equal facility used with any type of arch wire. As many orthodontists work most proficiently with one technique involving use of one type of arch wire, when transfer of a patient from one orthodontist to another is necessary use of my bracket will eliminate need for removal and rebuilding of the entire orthodontic appliance if the other Also, in some situations the same orthodontist may prefer to employ more than one technique, and my bracket will give him full freedom in this respect. Another advantage of my bracket is that it provides improved provision for ligating thereto, even in conjunction with the twin wire type arch which has heretofore been diflicult. Thus, when a tooth is so far out of line from the others, that it cannot be directly attached to the arch wire it may be connected to the arch wire by means of a ligating wire until it is drawn near enough into line to be attached to the arch wire by the same method as used on the rest of the teeth. Therefore an attaching bracket embodying provision for ligating connections thereto makes it possible to initially prepare all of the necessary teeth to be treated with permanent bands and brackets which may thenceforth be used throughout the entire term of the treatment without change.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved attaching bracket as aforesaid which is adaptable for use with any of the most widely used forms of arch wire material as referred to hereinabove.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bracket as aforesaid which is also adapted for ligation without requiring modifications.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a dental base member, as shown.

arch with an arch wire installed, showing two teeth banded and connected to the arch wire by one form of the bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on enlarged scale taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

'FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. *4 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the bracket of FIG. 1, showing the cap member being fitted to the base member;

FIG. '5 is a transverse sectional view of another form of the bracket of the invention as used with an edgewise type of arch wire;

FIG. '6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 but shows another form of the bracket of the invention as used with a round type arch wire; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a dental arch with an arch wire installed and having one tooth ligated thereto.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates how teeth 10 to be regulated are connected to an arch wire indicated at 12 by means of my improved brackets. The arch wire 12 may be attached to anchor teeth (not shown) in any known manner, and the teeth 10 to be treated are provided with encircling bands 14 in accordance with the usual practice.

The improved bracket of my invention comprises a base member 16 which has a cross sectional shape which may be described as that of a winged-U having a bottom wall 17, side walls 18, 18 extending generally normal to the bottom Wall :17, and Wing portions 19, 19 which project outwardly from the side walls 18, 18 and are angled back to form acute angles with the side walls 18, 18. As discussed hereina-bove, one of the primary objects of the invent-ion is to provide a bracket which is adapted for use with all-three principle type arch wires. To this end, the bottom Wall 17 and side walls 18, 18 are dimensioned to cradle therebetween the normal size rectangular type arch wire as indicated at 12a (FIG. 5). So dimensioned, the base member will also properly accommodate the twin arch type of arch wire as shown at 12 (FIG. 2) with its longest cross sectional dimension fitting between the side walls 18, 18.

The bracket of the invention is clamped to the arch wire by means of a cap member which will be furnished in three forms for alternative use depending on the type of arch wire with which the bracket is to be used in each case. Each cap member .is generally of C-shaped cross section and includes slide fitting side flanges over the wings 19, 19 of the base as shown. The inner surfaces of the flanges are flatted and properly angledto firmly seat against the flat outer ends of the wings 19, 19 of the For use with a twin arch type arch wire a cap as shown at 20a (FIGS. 2, 4) is pro vided, and is formed with a central inward projection 21 shaped and sized to slip-fit between the side walls 18, .18 of the base member and to hold the twin arch wire extending therethrough against the bottom wall 17 thereof, as best seen in FIG. 2. 'For use with a rectangular type arch wire a cap as shown at 20b (FIG. 5 is provided. This is very similar to the style of cap 20a but does not have any inwardly extending central ridge because in this case the rectangular wire fills the channel in the base member '16 as previously explained.

When using the bracket of the invention with a round type arch wire the side wall portions 18, 18 of the base member will be sprung slightly as necessary to accommodate the round wire between them. This is because the diameter of the round type of arch wire is usually slightly larger than the width dimensions of the twin and rectangular type arch wires. FIG. -6 illustrates the bracket in use with a round arch wire and shows a cap 20c which a is suitably dimensioned and shaped to fit the base 16 after it has been slightly spread to accommodate the round wire 12b. In all cases the cap member is fitted to the base member by sliding it thereon from one end thereof as illustrated in 'FIG. 4.

An important feature of the bracket of the invention is that the wing portions 19, 19 are formed at acute angles to the side walls 18, 18 and the channel formed between each side wall 18 and its wing portion 19 of the bracket of the invention provides the necessary purchase recess for attaching a lighting wire to the bracket (FIG. 7). Thus, when using brackets of the invention all necessary teeth of a dental arch may be similarly banded with base members 16 of attaching brackets of the invention affixed thereto such as by welding or brazing or the like. The orthodontist may use whichever of the basic types of arch wire he prefers. Any teeth so far out of line as to require ligation wire may be then ligated to the Wire as shown in FIG. 7, and later on during the treatment the arch wire is placed in the bracket base and a bracket cap is then slid in place to complete the connection. Thus, all necessary teeth receive the same initial band mounting treatment when the orthodontic appliance is being constructed, and there is no need for subsequent modifications or additional structural work in connection with the teeth employing the brackets of the invention as the treatment progresses.

Although only a few forms of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. For use in an orthodontic appliance comprising an arch wire and a band to be applied to a tooth to be moved, a bracket for mounting upon said band and receiving said arch wire in detachable connection relation, said bracket comprising a base member of winged U-shape sectional form having a bottom wall portion adapted to be permanently fixed to the tooth band and opposed side wall portions extending therefrom in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side Walls having integral flanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls to provide open recesses therebehind having overhangs beneath which ligation wires may be wrapped about said base member, and a cap member of C-shape sectional torm detachably connected upon said base memher and having edge flange portions bearing in slide clamping relation upon the edges of the flanges of said base member.

2. In combination, an orthodontic appliance comprising an arch wire and a band to be applied to a tooth to be moved and a bracket for mounting upon said band and receiving said arch wire in detachable connection relation, said bracket comprising a base member of winged U-shape sectional 'form permanently fixed at its bottom to the tooth band and having opposed side wall portions extending in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side walls having integralflanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls to provide open recesses therebehind having over-hangs beneath which ligation wires may be wrapped about said base member, and a cap member of C-shape sectional form detachably connected upon said base member and having edge portions bearing in slide clamping relation upon said flanges.

3. For use in an orthodontic appliance comprising an arch wire and a band to be applied to a tooth to be moved, a bracket for mounting upon said band and receiving said arch wire in detachable connection relation, said bracket comprising a base member of winged U-shape sectional form being arranged for permanent attachment at its bottom to a tooth band and having opposed side wall portions extending in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side walls having integral flanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls, and a cap member of C-shape sectional form detachably connected upon said base member and having edge portions bearing in slide clamping relation upon said flanges.

4. For use in an orthodontic appliance comprising an arch wire and a band to be applied to a tooth to be moved, a bracket for mounting upon said band and receiving said arch wire in detachable connection relation, said bracket comprising a base member of winged U-shape sectional form having a bottom wall portion adapted to be permanently fixed to a tooth band and opposed side wall portions extending therefrom in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side walls having integral flanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls to provide open recesses therebehind having overhangs beneath which ligation wires may be wrapped about said base member, and a cap member of generally C-shape sectional form detachably connected upon said base memher and having a centrally disposed in-bent portion slipfitting into said channel to bear against the arch wire therewith-in and having edge portions bearing in slide clamping relation upon said flanges.

5. In combination, an orthodontic appliance comprising an arch Wire and a band to be applied to a tooth to be moved, a bracket for mounting upon said band and receiving said arch wire in detachable connection relation, said bracket comprising a base member of winged U shape sectional form having a bottom wall portion permanently fixed to said tooth band and having opposed side wall portions extending in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side walls having integral flanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls to provide open recesses therebehind having overhangs beneath which ligation Wires may be wrapped about said base member, and a cap member of generally C- shape sectional form detachably connected upon said base member and having edge portions bearing in slide clamping relation upon said flanges and a centrally disposed inwardly extending boss portion slip-fitted into said channel in pressure bearing relation against said wire to snug the connection.

6. An orthodontic appliance comprising a bracket for mounting upon a tooth band and for receiving an arch wire in detachable connection relation; said bracket comprising a base member of winged U-shape sectional form having a bottom wall portion adapted to be permanently fixed to a tooth band and having opposed side wall portions extending in generally parallel spaced relation to provide an arch wire receiving channel therebetween, said side walls having integral flanges bent laterally and outwardly therefrom at acute angles to said side walls to provide open recesses therebehind having overhangs beneath which ligation Wires may be wrapped about said base member, the longitudinally extending edge faces of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,548,864 Brusse Apr. 17, 1951 2,713,720 Johnson July 26, 1955 2,854,747 Lewis Oct. 7, 1958 

1. FOR USE IN AN ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE COMPRISING AN ARCH WIRE AND A BAND TO BE APPLIED TO A TOOTH TO BE MOVED, A BRACKET FOR MOUNTING UPON SAID BAND AND RECEIVING SAID ARCH WIRE IN DETACHABLE CONNECTION RELATION, SAID BRACKET COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER OF WINGED U-SHAPE SECTIONAL FORM HAVING A BOTTOM WALL PORTION ADAPTED TO BE PERMANENTLY FIXED TO THE TOOTH BAND AND OPPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS EXTENDING THEREFROM IN GENERALLY PARALLEL SPACED RELATION TO PROVIDE AN ARCH WIRE RECEIVING CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING INTEGRAL FLANGES BENT LATERALLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AT ACUTE ANGLES TO SAID SIDE WALLS TO PROVIDE OPEN RECESSES THEREBEHIND HAVING OVERHANGS BENEATH WHICH LIGATION WIRES MAY BE WRAPPED ABOUT SAID BASE MEMBER, AND A CAP MEMBER OF C-SHAPE SECTIONAL FORM DETACHABLY CONNECTED UPON SAID BASE MEMBER AND HAVING EDGE FLANGE PORTIONS BEARING IN SLIDE CLAMPING RELATION UPON THE EDGES OF THE FLANGES OF SAID BASE MEMBER. 